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Isemene's bomb hits the flesh golem hound, which seems to stagger. Theodore wallops the creature.
The hound strikes at Quinn.
Quinn's enhanced speed from Tiff's spell enables him to turn what would have been a fatal blow into a merely painful one.
The doors above open, and the gnome regards you with hatred, holding an axe. "I will skin you alive..."
Party up!
Marc:
Eliza seems concerned but not shocked at seeing the initials and locations. Eliza and Osprey await you near the entrance to the Maze of the Open Road. Both look somber and contemplative. A smudge of ash on Eliza’s cheek and disgusting stains on Osprey’s already filthy garb hint at the chaos of the earlier battle. Eliza turns to you with a wistful sigh as Osprey speaks with a low, scratchy voice. “This Red Raven struck at Adril Hestram for a reason. The truth is that we have suspected Hestram of treachery against the Pathfinder Society for months. The Decemvirate asked me to investigate personally. The Talespinning was not a prelude to Adril’s promotion, but rather a test of his loyalty.” “A test,” Eliza says, “Adril Hestram appears to have failed.” Osprey smiles, his thin lips showing comfort and humor belied by his penetrating, avian gaze. “It remains to be seen whether you, his most trusted field agents, may yet pass. Guilt by association is not fair, but in the Decemvirate’s eyes it is prudent, especially in these dangerous times. Your investigations thus far have proven you loyal Pathfinder agents. Venturing into the Maze of the Open Road and solving the mystery of Adril’s assassination will assure your loyalty to the Society, and will surely gain the approval of the Ten.” Eliza steps forward, her hand curling into a triumphant fist. “I believe in you. I have since the first day we met. Go into the maze. Learn what you can of the Red Raven’s operation and how it ties in with Hestram. Come back and report to us, and we will coordinate our next move.” It is quite evident that you are being tested, and that no further direct assistance or information will be forthcoming. You enter the Maze and Katswiri begins casting Legend Lore.
Katswiri: Masked figures - likely the whispered leaders of the Society, the Decemvirate - walking through the Maze and emerging to the Woodsedge Lodge.
A portal to what appears to be another world, a red planet with unfamiliar four-armed giants. A portal to what appears to be the Mwangi Expanse. A battle between a druid (who Katswiri knows to be the Forest King Narven) and a spellcasting medusa. The medusa's name comes to Katswiri's mind. Condria. Condria, brooding in the Maze as apparently centuries pass. Condria, battling Adril Hestram and falling dead. Condria's body reforming on a white marble platform and rising again. Condria petrifying an absolutely immense carnivorous ape and a number of Mwangi warriors.
Quinn's sword glances off the creature's unnaturally tough hide.
Ismene: You know that the chemicals used for preserving flesh for golems generally makes them somewhat vulnerable to fire and cold. However electricity heals them, as you know from The Beast.
The dog slams its body into Quinn. Tiff is ready and slashes at the hound, wounding it.
Party up!
Eliza Petalungro and Osprey look back and forth to each other.
"I do know the name," says Eliza hesitantly, "but I am not at liberty to discuss how." "As to the Maze, as I said, it contains portals that connect to sites all over Golarion. The Forest King Narven, a powerful archdruid of the Arthfell Forest, cultivated it as a gift to the Pathfinder Society more than 200 years ago. Back then, Galt was a major seat of Pathfinder activity.
Sorithar's spell only lasts a minute; between the prisoner's lengthy info-dump and the wizard's own questions, the Charm wears off. Still, the prisoner gives a snarky reply.
Sorithar knows that the Revolutionary Council is the ruling body of Galt, and Isarn is the nation's capital.
Okay, I'm going to say that Tiff descending into the courtyard is the point at which the combat starts. The hound lurches to attack. Initiative:
The party may act! Right now the gate is closed, Tiff is inside the courtyard 5' above the ground, and the flesh golem hound is moving to attack her (despite being muzzled). The gate will take a move action to open from the inside.
The prisoner looks uncertain but says nothing as Sorithar casts his spell. "You done? Well, thanks for telling me that you're tracking me. Now I know that I can't go back. You may as well kill us; we'll never betray the Revolution."
"But maybe you aren't a monster like Adril Hestram. You seem an intelligent man. Maybe you were just mislead and need to hear the truth.
"Involvement? Doctor Brada might have bought products from us. What of it? We sell to many customers.
He closes the doors. Theodore: You are quite certain that Doctor Brada was more than a customer, and that the gnome is well aware of the danger to your lives that he spoke of.
The doors on the second story open a few moments after the bell rings. A small figure wearing rags appears, possibly a gnome.
The hound gets up and begins to pace in the courtyard.
Sorithar, make a Bluff check please. I don't think it will matter much as even with a saving throw this guy is unlikely to hit a 20, but he will choose to attempt a save if he doesn't believe you about the spell being cast.
Tiff: An iron-wheeled cart sits in the courtyard, ready for deliveries. There is a door to the north, and double doors to the east.
Above the double doors, the second story also has a set of double doors opening to the outside. All of these doors are closed at the moment. A disturbing creature rests in the southeast corner of the courtyard (not visible from the external gate). It looks like a dog, muzzled and chained to a cage (though the chain looks long enough to allow the dog to go anywhere in the courtyard). The creature appears to be stitched together from the corpses of several different dogs. Like a flesh golem hound. The building has a first floor about 60'x60', a second floor of the same footprint, and then a third and fourth floor that are a tower about 15'x15'. The golem-hound takes no notice of you flying above the courtyard.
Bracers don't stack with Mage Armor, of course.
Katswiri:
The clay tablet is in a drawer. Eliza is going to lock the door when you leave the room, so you can try asking her for permission to transcribe it. The faction mission notes it would be better if she didn't know, but not absolutely essential. Your call. Sorithar:
The gnomes had very little. Two Beads of Force, now used up, and the Rod of Wonder. Beyond that, each had:
+2 small light wooden shield +2 leather armor +1 short sword cloak of resistance +1 All Small sized, of course. The elf had:
Trokkus:
Nothing in the worms' guts. The worm tunnels lead to what appears to be a major thoroughfare of the Darklands! This must connect to Galt’s rumored Low Highway.
The prisoners refuse to say anything other than "We struck for the Revolution. Kill us if you will, but the Revolution will live on."
And should I proceed with Katswiri's Commune as posted?
There are ten remaining +1 Flaming Burst arrows from the defeated archers. Yes, you would need to be actually inside the maze to get the 1d4 x 10 minutes casting time. There are reasons why the Venture-Captains aren't necessarily telling you everything they know about the Maze or anything else - this is in part a test of your abilities.
GM, I suspect that the Red Raven used a Cape of the Mountebank to dimension door away, given how it ended up happening (short range teleport, cape flourish, spellcraft spoiler implies its a spell effect but not spellcasting, spellcraft DC is for recognizing Dimension Door/other 4th level spell). That's based on my own meta knowledge of Pathfinder magic items though, is there a knowledge check that Katswiri could make to determine if the short range teleport was cast vs. magic item and what magic items could potentially do that? I would say not. It's not actually that item anyway. Also, I see Edme, Galt is marked on the map. Is that where we are, or is that somewhere else in Galt? Somewhere else. Edme is in the eastern part of the country, while Woodsedge in in the west.
No. But lacking such specific DCs, I will offer this: the Red Raven is a folk hero of the bloodthirsty people of Revolutionary Galt, and the greatest bandit/detective in service to the nation’s Revolutionary Council.
It is trivial for the more knowledgeable among you to conclude that a feminine face with a crown of snakes is evoking a medusa; the amulet's ward against petrification reinforces this conclusion. Neither the Greenstone Idol nor the Ophidian Necklace are specified as having caster levels, but Strong seems appropriate (CL 12-20). They do not have any magical properties beyond what is in the handouts. Katswiri: Eliza reluctantly lets you into the Secret Library to continue your search. She is present with you while you examine things, but requests that it be just one PC (to limit the potential mess) and insists that you put everything back as it was.
"These missives, dossiers, and other documents are sensitive. The fewer that see them, the better. Even the most well-intentioned can slip up and reveal that which they are not supposed to." Among these documents, you see the Kathari fragment, a text in Ancient Osiriani. It is complicated enough that you will need to transcribe it, not just memorize it. Eliza sees you notice the document but says nothing.
Venture-Captain Adril Hestram is well and truly dead. Marc finds no lurking attackers.
In Adril Hestram's room, Marc finds several things of interest.
The remaining combatants either surrender or are beaten into unconsciousness. Some of the archers evade Marc, but the blinded ones are easily caught. The one that Marc had knocked out is now dead, his throat slit to prevent him falling into enemy hands. Eliza emerges from the rubble.
You have a few options now - Pursue the Red Raven? Interrogate prisoners? Speak with Dead on corpses? Try to follow the worms' tunnels? Before you can run off to follow the Red Raven (if that would be your choice), Eliza speaks up.
Before you follow the Red Raven into the Maze of the Open Road, we should investigate the scene of the crime and see what can be learned. There’s no telling where the Raven wandered off to inside the Maze. If you’re to follow him, you’d best do so with as much information as possible. I give you free reign to investigate the entire Lodge if there is anything here that might shed light on these events.” And before anybody makes any checks, no, there is no Knowledge check to know anything about the Maze of the Open Road beyond what you discover in the course of the adventure. When there is a Knowledge check to be made, I will let you know (or probably just spoiler the information for those for whom it is within their Take 10).
A tall, iron chimney belches yellow clouds into the sky from this small brick factory. Large leaded windows arch in a dozen places on its outer walls, but they are so begrimed as to be opaque. The building has two floors and a tower, topped by a lightning rod. As you approach, you smell acrid fumes coming from the chimney. Ismene easily identifies the smoke as a byproduct of acid and bleach production. A twenty-foot-high stone wall, topped with broken glass, surrounds a small courtyard before the workshop. A heavy oak gate bars entry beneath a sign proudly proclaiming “Vorkstag and Grine, Chymic Works.” A bell hangs by one side of the gate. Map is up.
Rallas hits Black (was at -47/dazed/prone, now at -70 and unconscious). Marc hits a gnome, tripping him. (I think the combination of tentacles and bodies will provide cover to a Small NPC.)
He then trips Grey.
He then trips Red.
He then trips Magenta.
Trokkus hits Grey (was at -31, now at -50). His next attack (21 NL) drops him.
None of the foes are able to act this round, but the gnomes are only temporarily dazed. Round 7
You've got about five hours until dark.
Marc, you're very likely going to have at least one prisoner from this room, maybe more. And the dazed guy from the other room. I'm not sure how many you think are necessary.
Trokkus is up.
The elf is dead, Rallas.
Sorcerer with Destined bloodline.
Sorithar easily kills his foe. The Black Tentacles fail to re-grapple the freed gnome, but they do maintain their hold on the humans. The servant is crushed to death and the Black Tentacles finally release.
Chief Justice Ambrose Khard glares at Quinn. "Mister Harwood, we maintain order in this courtroom! No matter how angry they are, the public will respect our authority! Us, the Herald, the Holy Sister of Justice - the good citizens of Lepidstadt would not go so far as to threaten us or defy us.
Judge Kasp Aldaar follows. "You have chosen your side, Barrister." He says this levelly, with little emotion. The guards take the Beast back to its cell, through the path in the interior of the courthouse that avoids the public. Judge Embreth stops near you and speaks quietly. "I share your concerns. I do not think the crowd will riot here and now - not with the Herald, Justices, and Holy Sister present - but at night? Once they have had a few drinks? When all that stands between them and the Beast are few ill-trained and possibly sympathetic guards who lack even a proper Sergeant? I would ask that you stay in the Courthouse tonight as extra security if you can. Be there by dark if possible."
At Quinn's revelation that the party has recovered the bodies, the spectators in the Courthouse gasp and murmur. The Hergstag families, mostly together in one area, look grief-stricken but perhaps a bit grateful. Then one of the Lepidstadt townsfolk, a squat balding man with a crooked nose, shouts "Grave-robbing! Tampering with evidence!"
Even Prosecutor Otto Heiger looks uncomfortable at this. Gustav Kaple signals frantically to the Herald. The Herald restores order and has the agitator removed. Quinn can continue with his testimony. The Beast looks confused and started at Quinn's request. It hesitantly looks at the remnants of the book. The Beast reaches out for it, but the chains around its arms do not permit it to move much. Shakily, the Beast starts to recite, "On a Fireday in Desnus the fairy said to me..."
The Beast shakes its head and stops, looking away from the book. Even so, the ability of the creature to start at least a simple children's poem, and the clearly human reaction of embarrassment, may carry some weight. The justices look thoughtful. But another of the observers then takes offense at this demonstration. A young mother with an infant in her arms.
After another chorus of outbursts from the crowd, she too is removed. The testimony concluded , the trial is about to adjourn. Sense Motive:
Theodore: This crowd is not merely angry and venting frustration. They are so riled up, and so many are convinced of the Beast's guilt, that they may well try to take justice into their own hands.
Katswiri's spell reveals the elf, untouched by the tentacles and on the north side of the room. Two of the three humans try to wriggle free from the tentacles (Black is Dazed).
The elf casts a spell.
Spellcraft DC 19:
Freedom of Movement One of the gnomes (Teal) slips free from the tentacles. The gnome with the rod tries to slip out.
The two gnomes move up, although one of them (Magenta) is at risk of being grappled again next round. Round 6
It's not possible unless they are un-grappled first. With the intermittent outages this week and the fact that I am traveling I may need to wait until Friday night to update.
As expected, the mention of Ellsa causes the Beast to break into its strange shuddering fits that might at first be mistaken for laughing. But there is no mistaking its body language, nor the grief in its wailing cry. "She was a friend! I fought the dark thing but couldn't hurt it. I know you bury dead people. I thought they would want me to do that and I could explain. But they didn't let me say what happened. Just attacked." With some prodding, the Beast talks a bit more about the dead girl. "Yes, she was a friend. She loved dragonflies but was scared of beetles. Her favorite flowers was the orange ones. She could climb trees real good." Ellsa's parents look to each other and begin sobbing. The Court takes in the news of Brother Swarm and his destruction. Wraiths leave behind no direct evidence when they die, but Theodore's descriptive testimony is compelling.
Trokkus heals himself, Katswiri, and the servant of 21 damage. Sorithar conjures a mass of tentacles. You can tell that the humans and gnomes are grappled, but can't tell about the invisible elf. The surviving servant is grappled and once again goes unconscious. Marc hits an enemy.
The archers do various things (mostly seeking to flee).
Katswiri is up.
Could not get on the site earlier. Will try to get a post up tonight.
That's a dying servant.
There really isn't time for Tiff to fit in a sparring session - that's something Quinn can do while the others are preparing spells, the cavalier having found a local University student to spar with.
The crowd seems more agitated today... perhaps it is because today's case involves the killing of children. Otto Heiger presents the prosecution's case, full of salacious details to whip the crowd into a frenzy.
The sisters take the stand, one at a time, each relating the events more or less as they told you. They seem nervous and unsure. All of them look to you as they speak and falter.
Starle happens to catch Theodore's eye, and, fearing for the judgement of her soul before Pharasma, she too admits to an inconsistency in the story. "Karin's window was latched from the inside and wasn't broken in, so we can't see how the Beast could have done it." Flicht notices Ismene, and remembering the alchemist's formidable intellect, she owns up to the facts. "It's true, we didn't tell it all the right way to Mister Otto Heiger the first time. That's on us, not on him. But we know the Beast killed the other five. Maybe their spirits killed poor Karin. It killed them and we never found their bodies." The witnesses take their seats. Otto Heiger looks annoyed at their wavering testimony. Barrister Gustav Kaple says, "You.. you have done well so far. But the murder of five children is still a dea... dead... a death sentence. Do you have evidence to present?"
Katswiri brings herself and Trokkus into the room. A tall elf with long white hair wearing a fashionable powder blue silk shirt stands at the center of the lodge’s Armory. He wears a rapier at his side and holds the Pale Maiden in his left hand, his wide smile creasing his handsome face from ear to ear. Four human men dressed in red leather armor menace three wounded servants of the Woodsedge Lodge. Two similarly garbed gnomes cackle as their hands overflow with plundered knick-nacks from among the room’s many magical items. One of these twisted creatures holds a candy-striped rod in your direction, while the other sidearms two tiny black beads at you. The gnome (Magenta) uses his candy-striped rod.
The other gnome (Teal) throws his two tiny black beads.
The blue-clad elf vanishes.
Spellcraft DC 17:
Invisibility The transparent image on the map is where he was. ---- Round 6 ---- Rallas opens the doors, which had been held by an Arcane Lock spell. Round 6
I should be able to get a post up tomorrow.
I'm also trying to figure out how to fit the guys in the Armory into initiative. They were sort of part of the combat so I may just have them go at the top of the round. Or roll for them and slot them in. Need to see if the scenario specifies.
It's fine, she can D-Door.
Trokkus finishes off the worm. Osprey starts to struggle out of the mouth of the one that swallowed him. Marc pummels two of the archers.
"Scatter!' shout the archers. Green stands and takes off.
Yellow tries to shake off the Daze.
The four blinded ones follow the sound of their fellows.
Katswiri may act.
Yes, the door is locked. So Sorithar tries the door, finds it locked, tells Rallas to unlock it, then moves to the Courtyard doors and opens those. Sorithar:
There is a huge hole in the exterior northeast wall of the Courtyard (the jagged yellow star). Through the hole, some 300 feet across the exterior lawn, you see a red-cloaked figure vanishing into a hedge maze.
Meanwhile, the double doors from the Courtyard to the Armory stand ajar. You hear the screaming coming from inside, while you can see a pair of gnomes that seem to be ransacking the Armory. There may be more figures inside the room but you can't see them. Rallas spends his turn moving to the doors and then checking for traps -he finds none. The worm fails to shake off the dazing effect. Trokkus and Marc to act.
It takes a couple of hours to get back to town, especially now that it is dark. You are let into the city and make your way to the townhouse. Nothing bothers you in the night, and you can even sleep in a little bit since the trail begins at 10 AM.
Oh, I suppose so. These guys are pretty irrelevant but I will move one back.
I believe that Marc's interpretation is how I have always seen it.
Round 5
Trokkus hits twice, but the massive creature does not fall. Marc finally finishes the beast.
"Step back to the wall!" call the archers to their blinded comrades. The blinded ones do that, and their fellows move up to guard them.
Katswiri is up.
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